An Unexpected Dilemma
by GodsOfDeathLikeApples
Summary: Ciel wakes one morning to a problem and his butler, who finds it amusing, accidentally makes things a whole lot worse. He doesn't know why, or how, but Ciel Phantomhive is now... a cat?
1. Things Are Turned Into Other Things

Ciel Phantomhive began his morning as he always did: he was woken by his butler, was handed a cup steaming with whatever tea said butler had brewed that morning, and then he sat patiently as he was dressed by hands not his own. Something was… _off_ , however.

Sebastian had clearly noticed something. His butler was hiding smirks and laughs, and the fact that he dared make such a show of it to Ciel's face meant that Ciel was making a fool out of himself somehow. Feeling the beginnings of humiliated anger stir in his stomach, he scanned the room to make sure everything was in order.

His bed, although messy from a good night's sleep, was dry (not that he wet the bed, not even once, _never_ ), his side table was free of anything suspicious, his floors were clean and he was _definitely_ wearing underwear this morning. He peered at Sebastian, who was currently fastening the buttons on the shirt he was to wear that day, with a suspicious glare. When the demon met his gaze, he had the gall to smirk.

"Well?" snapped Ciel furiously. "Out with it! What's so funny? I demand you tell me!"

Sebastian thrust his face close to Ciel's suddenly, bringing a hand to slowly rest atop the Earl's head. "I _do_ like your new… _headgear_ , young Master."

Ciel waved his butler's hands out of the way impatiently, and as Sebastian sat back on his haunches, the Earl ran both hands through his hair.

Xxxxxx

Downstairs, Bard was cooking breakfast to the best of his ability. Finny was hungry and had been whining in his ear, and he _was_ a cook, no matter what Sebastian or the young Lord might say.

Yes, he was a cook, and cooks had to work with what they had. So when he had found this nice soup-type dish simmering away on the stove, it had been his right to start to add things and – and he was sure any professional would agree with him – turn up the heat a little.

Just a little, thought Bard as he cranked the heat all the way up. The soup was boiling nicely, although he wasn't sure it was supposed to be… bubbling like that. Oh, well. It would all come together in the end! Sebastian would be happy with his progress, but only if he saw the finished product. Oh, if the butler were to walk in _right now_ , then Bard would probably be going in the pot with the ingredients.

Suddenly, somebody began screaming upstairs. Bard was so surprised that he began screaming too, thinking that Sebastian or the young Lord had walked in. He soon stopped, however, as the screaming turned from wordless rage into coherent sentences.

Honestly, the young Lord could be bratty sometimes. Bard supposed that the cause for this temper tantrum was Sebastian refusing him sweets. With a happy sigh, he went back to his cooking.

Xxxxxx

" _Demon_! What have you _**done to me**_?" shrieked Ciel, throwing his cup of boiling tea at Sebastian, who swiftly caught it without spilling a drop.

"Young Master-" began Sebastian, standing ramrod straight in front of Ciel.

" _Bring me a mirror_! _I want to see the full extent of – of_ _ **this**_!"

Sebastian complied, fetching a floor-length mirror. The moment Ciel caught sight of himself, he put his hands on either side of his head, and opened his mouth wide. Instead of a scream, a short croaking noise emanated from his throat. Slowly, he turned around, craning his neck so that he could look at his bottom in the mirror.

"Young Master, I think you are over-reacting," said Sebastian, his tone mocking and lightly amused. "I think you look rather lovely."

"You disgusting, vile creature," hissed Ciel. "Reverse what you have done _immediately_."

"As much as I enjoy your new appearance, my Lord, I am not the one responsible for creating it. I cannot undo it, either," said Sebastian, his grave tone conflicting with the smile painted all over his face.

"Don't smile at me!" shouted Ciel. "How can I show my face like this?"

For you see, Ciel had been turned into a cat. He now possessed softer-than-silk blue ears, and a long, thin tail that was swishing angrily.

Sebastian leaned towards him again, and Ciel recoiled in horror at the blush on his butler's cheeks. Pulling off his gloves, Sebastian raised a hand to Ciel's head and began stroking him behind the ears. With his other hand, he took hold of Ciel's delicate fingers and massaged them much in the same way he did to the cats outside every morning.

"W-What – mmn – Sebastian!" shrieked Ciel, trying to pull away from his unruly butler.

"What soft fur you have, young Master," purred Sebastian, seating himself on Ciel's bed and pulling the younger child into his lap.

"Sebastian – how dare-" panted Ciel, furious with himself. A desire built in his stomach, and he was powerless to it, even though he tried to resist. After a mere minute, he gave in.

Ciel meowed.

Sebastian was almost unaware of what he was doing, so enamoured with cats and cat-like things was he, until he felt the Earl shrink in his arms. Smoke clouded the area, obscuring a normal man's vision, and when it cleared the butler was holding a loose pile of clothes in his arms.

"Young Master!" said Sebastian, sounding shocked but in reality utterly amused by the situation.

An angry blue face poked its way out of the neck of Ciel's shirt. It hissed at him. Sebastian grabbed Ciel by the neck and held him up as if on display.

"Oh, dear," said Sebastian happily. "It seems you are now a _real_ cat, young Master."

The cat yowled in reply, and Sebastian, being a demon, was able to understand the gist of what it was trying to convey.

"Fix this!" Ciel the cat screeched. " _Fix this_!"


	2. The Cover-Up

"The young Master has taken ill," explained Sebastian to the three servants who stood expectantly awaiting their orders for the day. "The young Master is worried for the health of his tutors and family and does not wish them to catch what he has. For now, nobody is to be allowed into his private quarters. Is this understood?"

"The young Lord is so kind," said Maylene with a sigh, edging closer to Sebastian subconsciously.

Finnian nodded his agreement, and Bard just grinned, lit cigarette hanging out of his mouth as per usual. Maylene noticed and snatched it out of his mouth, telling him off about how he was harming the young Lord's health and that he wasn't to smoke in the mansion, to which Bard took great offense. Being the kind soul that he was, Finny tried to separate the two but ended up flinging poor Bard into a nearby stone pillar by accident, which cracked from the strain. After that they all started arguing, with Bard doing most of the shouting, as he had almost had his back broken ("It was just a ruddy cigarette!") - until a murderous aura became noticeable.

Sebastian glared, and the three servants shrank back meekly, quibbles forgotten. One by one, they excused themselves to do their work without even being told what to do. Displaying more efficiency than Sebastian had ever seen all three of them utilise put together, Finny cleared the rubble of the pillar and ran off somewhere, holding the broom which he had used to sweep the floor above his head as though it were a precious artefact.

Maylene tried to escape, tripping over Sebastian's shiny black shoes in the process and leaving scuff marks upon them. Not recovering from the shock of the trip in time, she fell to the floor and broke her glasses. Screeching her apologies she ran away, covering her tomato-red face and falling _up_ the stairs several times in her haste.

During the commotion Bard had tried to tiptoe off quietly, but his attempt was thwarted when a loud explosion sounded from the kitchen. The soup, which he had left with the lid on to simmer on full heat, had exploded. As though the devil himself was snapping at his heels, he shot off to the kitchen, forgetting that still in his mouth was the lit cigarette. A second explosion rang out through the mansion, male screaming accompanying it.

Sebastian sighed despairingly, running a gloved hand through his hair. Honestly, as if he didn't have other things to worry about. The smell coming from the general direction of the kitchen told him that it was Ciel's breakfast that had been ruined – although he supposed that didn't matter much now, considering the Earl's current… _predicament_.

Smirking slightly, Sebastian disappeared up the stairs to see Ciel (passing Finny along the way, who was sweeping the floor enthusiastically, pressing upon the broom with such force it was splintering the wood), and to laugh more at the sorry state his master was now in. Of course he wouldn't laugh to the boy's face. No, that would earn him another scratch. He would have to keep it inside, however difficult it might be. Although he was incredibly apt at suppressing his feelings – being a demon, he had none most of the time – mirth was something which often escaped his impassive façade.

Xxxxxx

"I can't believe this," Ciel was saying to himself as he paced the length of his desk, "how did it happen? _When_ did it happen? Sebastian must be _lying_ to me… but, he is forbidden to lie…"

The boy-turned-cat had continued much along the same lines for the past half an hour. He had made sure that Sebastian would cancel all of his appointments for the foreseeable future, as well as informing the servants that his bedroom was now out of bounds. Family would have to be turned away for the time being as well.

An icy shiver went down his spine as he wondered what on earth Lizzie would do if she ever caught wind of the situation. It would _never_ happen. Not even over his dead body. He wouldn't even _imagine_ what she would do, because her finding out wasn't a possibility.

…She would probably force him to sit inside a baby's pram and parade him round London. Or put a bowtie on his neck and hold tea parties with his new Funtom rabbits that he only owned for work reasons. It wasn't like he wanted to keep them or anything! Everything had to be of top quality, so he himself made sure that the toys were properly made and… and cute and fluffy enough.

It wasn't like he slept with them at night or anything. Only _babies_ did that. It… it wasn't like he'd made a snickering Sebastian promise not to tell anyone, or anything.

Ciel hissed at the direction his thoughts were taking, his tail swishing angrily. Why was it so _long_ , anyway? Why did he have to be a _cat_ , anyway? He hated cats. Cats were _Sebastian's_ thing! Even just thinking about cats made him want to… want to…

Ciel sneezed so suddenly and violently that he fell off his work desk. It was at that moment that he discovered that boy-cats did not share certain abilities with their actual-cat cousins. Namely, Ciel landed flat on his face as opposed to his feet.

A pair of warm, strong hands picked him up off the floor, and as Ciel looked up towards the person who had rescued him he for one ridiculous moment – one ridiculous, joyous moment – thought it was his father. Then he caught sight of the vicious smirk on the person's face and his fantasy was shattered.

No, it wasn't his father. His father was dead, he was _gone_. Gone forever. Of course, the person who had picked him up off the floor was Sebastian. Ciel wondered how long his butler had been standing there, watching him. He squirmed furiously in his butler's arms, hating how powerless he was.

"Release me!" he commanded.

So Sebastian dropped him. Or he attempted to, at least. Ciel clung on with his claws, digging them deep into the butler's hands, yowling.

"No – _no_ , that wasn't what I – _Sebastian_!"


	3. Of Plans And Ideas

_Ciel backed off Sebastian's lap hastily upon seeing the look on his butler's face. It was creepy, seeing the man blush and fawn over something like that. Had he no shame? It was as if he was eyeing up a meal…_

 _An awful thought occurred to Ciel as the innocent observation crossed his mind – could demons make contracts with animals? Perhaps he had accidentally broken the covenant by changing into a cat, and Sebastian really was going to eat him!_

" _Such a look isn't befitting of an Earl, young Master," said Sebastian smoothly. As though he had read Ciel's mind, he held up his right hand. Gloves absent, Ciel could see quite clearly the mark of the covenant displayed on his butler's hand, bright and distinct as usual._

 _Despite his pride, he sighed a little in relief. Honestly, he hadn't actually thought Sebastian was going to eat him, had he? Such a thing was ridiculous. Even if the contract had been terminated, Sebastian would never harm a cat, of all things._

… _Actually, he wasn't too sure whether that last idea was a happy one or not._

Ciel squirmed in Sebastian's arms as the demon fitted a cloth patch around the eye that bore the mark of the covenant. Even as a cat it was clearly visible, and since Ciel didn't plan on spending any length of time cooped up in this room, it would have to be covered.

"Young Master," said Sebastian silkily, bringing Ciel out of his thoughts, "would you perhaps like a bowtie, or some small shoes for your paws?"

" _You're far too excited about this_!" cried Ciel, kicking his back legs against Sebastian's forearms in an attempt to escape. "Where would you even _find_ such shoes?"

In response, Sebastian held up two pairs of tiny pink shoes, each outfitted with yellow laces and blue trims. Ciel shuddered visibly. Sebastian was turning into the awful depiction of Lizzie he had visualised in his mind earlier! Now all he would need to do would –

Oh, goodness. Sebastian was now rummaging under Ciel's bed with his spare arm, and was pulling out a headpiece to go along with the shoes. How long had _that_ been under there?

"You don't want to dirty your paws," murmured Sebastian, leaning close to Ciel, who recoiled in horror. As Sebastian attempted to slip the dreaded boots onto his feet (or _paws_ , thought Ciel in disgust), Ciel hissed and yowled as though he had been a cat all his life.

Thankfully for him, Sebastian got distracted and became enamoured with squeezing Ciel's toes – This is _worse_ than the shoes, thought Ciel – and the cat was able to slip free. Unfortunately, Ciel's agility was again thrown into question as, like before when he fell from the desk, he landed flat on his back on the floor.

Sitting up, he addressed Sebastian, who had maintained some composure and was looking down at him disinterestedly. "We must get this issue resolved. Is there anyone you know of that dabbles in such trickery as this?"

 _He's pretending he didn't even fall_ , thought Sebastian, feeling as though he would burst out laughing. Such a human trait it was, but one that he indulged himself in often. In fact, he found himself giving into many human emotions, and more frequently than he would've done in the past. Briefly he wondered if he was spending too much time in this human body – what if it was starting to affect his _brain_? – before he realised that the Earl was staring up at him expectedly. "No, young Master. I know of no people nearby that practise any forms of magic."

"You think this is magic?" asked Ciel gravely, the mood somewhat affected by the fact that to anybody else he would be meowing as opposed to talking.

"Perhaps," replied Sebastian with a mocking smile, "or perhaps it is not."

"What kind of an answer is that?" hissed Ciel. "Does it mean you actually don't _know_ what's wrong?"

"There is one person we could ask," mused Sebastian, "but it would mean travelling through town."

" _Don't ignore me_!"

Xxxxxxx

"Undertaker?" asked Ciel from inside of the carriage, knowing that his inhuman butler would hear him perfectly well despite the wood separating them. "How will he help?"

As it was a fairly cold morning, Sebastian had made Ciel a nest out of blankets in the back seat and had tucked him in properly. As much as the boy-cat had protested at the time, he remained snuggled within the cocoon of warmth and was secretly grateful for such an action on his butler's part.

It had been quite difficult smuggling Ciel out of the mansion. Finny was patrolling around the borders, to make sure that no visitors could get in. Bard was inside, cooking another get-well soup for Ciel and grumbling at the several bumps and bruises on his body. They were, however, not a punishment from Sebastian (or not an intended one) - in his haste to apologise for blowing up the kitchen previously, Bard had run into the demon, and since Sebastian's skin was akin to iron armour…

Well, Ciel hadn't seen the extent of it – for he had been upstairs and panicking at turning into such a tiny cat at the time – but from Sebastian's surprisingly poetic description he had understood that it had probably hurt very much. On their way out of the mansion that morning, Ciel had caught a glimpse of Bard from his perch in the crook of Sebastian's arms and had caught sight of the two round bruises the man was sporting above his eyebrows. It seemed that even Sebastian's _nipples_ were a force to be reckoned with.

Maylene remained inside, so she wasn't a problem. As disgusting as Bard's cooking smelled, _he_ was not a problem. No, the problem had been Finny. Unsuspecting, innocent little Finny.

"Where are you going, Sebastian?" he'd asked from halfway across the garden, having seen them trying to leave sneakily.

Well, Ciel had rather strong suspicions that Sebastian had let himself be seen on purpose. As if _Finny_ would be able to catch Sebastian had the butler been serious.

"To get this little one some help for his eye," Sebastian had replied smoothly, with a condescending smile as per usual.

"Ohhhh, a kitty!" Finny had squealed, stroking Ciel from head to tail and accidentally nearly pulling all the cat's skin off from the force he exerted.

" _Too hard_!" shrieked Ciel, but of course to Finny it just sounded like a small, cute meow. To a normal person it would've sounded like a furious yowl -a sure sign for them to back off - but Finny was too enamoured by the Earl's soft fur to notice properly.

After several seconds of bliss for Finny (and for Ciel, several seconds of furious commands to _get him off!_ to Sebastian), the gardener seemed to realise something else. "Oh, but what about the young Lord? Isn't he unwell? Who will look after him?"

"He's fine," said Sebastian, looming close to Finny scarily, "and you are _utterly forbidden_ to go upstairs and see him."

"Y-Yes, Sebastian!" Finny had said, saluting the demon and running away.

…Ciel supposed it hadn't been as difficult to leave as he had remembered, but it could've been a lot _easier_ had Sebastian told Finny off in the first place, or left _stealthily_ as he had been _asked_ to. Honestly, everything he asked the butler would have to become an ordered command if things didn't start getting done the way he intended.

Presently, Ciel was grumpy. Grumpy that Sebastian had ignored his question about the Undertaker, grumpy that the carriage ride was bumpier than usual, grumpy because he was _hungry_ and grumpy because he was _a cat_.

He was also tired, and the blankets weren't helping the situation. But he wasn't a child anymore! Sleeping was for night-time _only_ , and since it wasn't night-time he wasn't to sleep. Still, he was warm and his eyelids wouldn't stay open. In fact, he could hardly move his limbs, they were so _heavy_ …

Xxxxxx

Ciel was stirred from sleep abruptly as Sebastian picked him up.

"Young Master, we're here."

"Hmmmn…" Ciel yawned, slurring his words. "You didn't answer my question. I know you heard me."

"I was flanked on either side by other drivers, my Lord. Had I started talking, it would've aroused curiosity," explained Sebastian. "I did reply, however. Each bump of the carriage corresponded to a letter of the alphabet. Had you been paying attention, you would've understood that one bump was for the letter "A", two for the letter "B" and so on."

" _That's so unreasonable_!" exclaimed Ciel incredulously. " _Who_ would understand that?"

"I will explain the reasons for our coming here as we walk to the Undertaker's residence, my Lord. Don't worry about the other people stepping on you; I will carry you."

"Se-Sebastian, _oi_ – I can walk, you know, I don't need – _seriously, who would understand that_?"


	4. The First Outing

"We are going to visit the Undertaker because…" said Sebastian quietly to Ciel, who was wrapped in a blanket and trying his best not to look interested, "he often knows about unusual things."

"That's the _only_ reason?" asked Ciel incredulously.

"Now, now, young Master," smiled Sebastian, "you look awfully cute when you're angry."

" _What's that supposed to mean_?" said Ciel, rather more loudly than he had intended to. He shrank back into the crook of Sebastian's arms – his _cold_ arms, good lord – as several passers-by looked around for the source of the loud meow.

The two of them arrived at the Undertaker's shop in relative silence, Ciel not particularly wanting to embarrass himself any further. They let themselves inside, but the Undertaker himself was nowhere to be seen. Ciel wrinkled his nose, burying further into Sebastian to try and relieve himself from the awful smell he'd never noticed as a human.

The smell of death, that was - it was everywhere. To the Earl's disdain, burying into Sebastian didn't work at all, considering he was a demon and didn't have any natural odour. Putting on his best brave face, he sprang from his butler's arms (and sprawling onto the floor ungracefully), calling out as he did so.

"Undertaker!"

In response, one of the coffin lids flew open with a loud _bang_ , and out flopped Undertaker. He slid along the floor on his stomach towards Ciel, and the little cat bristled from head to toe. That noise had been so _loud_ – it had spooked the Earl completely, even if he would never admit it.

"Hello, little Earl," said the Undertaker happily, his nose almost touching Ciel's tiny, furred face.

"U-Undertaker," began Ciel in a shaky voice, trying to recover from the shock, "I need some information."

Giggling madly, the Undertaker rolled onto his back. Bright green eyes stared up at the Earl gleefully. "Oh, dear – what _have_ you done?"

"Nothing," muttered Ciel. He considered it to be lucky that the Undertaker could understand his speech, and wondered if all supernatural beings could or whether the ones he surrounded himself with were just abnormalities. "I just woke up like this."

The Undertaker stood quickly, walking over to Sebastian. "So cute, yes he is. You must enjoy keeping him, hmm?"

"Yes, of course," replied Sebastian, and the two began a nonsensical conversation on how soft and fluffy Ciel's fur was. The Undertaker was agreeing with Sebastian, saying that yes, his nose had felt the wonders of that fur and it _was_ really that soft.

"Don't just _ignore_ me!" complained Ciel grumpily. "And don't talk about such idiotic things!"

Spinning around in circles for no particular reason, the Undertaker ran into his desk and fell over it. Seating himself on a chair and bending to rest his chin on the wood as though he was a ragdoll, he addressed Ciel. "If you want information, you know what you have to do first, little Earl."

"Don't worry, young Master – I have the perfect thing," said Sebastian helpfully, pulling out the pairs of shoes and the headpiece from earlier that day.

Arching his back, Ciel backed away, but the butler caught up easily and forced him into the clothes whilst the Undertaker cackled. Thus began a series of events that Ciel would never repeat to anyone, not even if they had a gun to his head. They far surpassed anything Lizzie had ever made him do, and if cats were able by the end he would've been so red in the face he would've looked like a vegetable. …Or were tomatoes fruit?

Well, nevermind, thought Ciel. The Undertaker had got what he wanted; now they would get some _answers_. Finally he would be a human boy again. Even though he had only been a cat for a few hours, he was already sick to death of it and could never imagine staying like this for any period of time.

"I have no idea," said the Undertaker, who was drooling slightly but had a large smile on his face.

" _What_?" cried Ciel, who was stood on the desk in front of the death god, still clad in the ridiculous baby clothes Sebastian had forced him into. After the… _performance_ was over, he'd tried to rip them to shreds using his new claws but had been stopped by the evil look his butler had given him - disguised within a smile so as not to spoil the Undertaker's good mood.

"I don't know why you're a cat," giggled the Undertaker, offering Ciel a dog biscuit, "and I don't know how to change you back, either."

"You're joking, surely," said Ciel incredulously, refusing the biscuit.

"Sorry," said the Undertaker, not sounding sorry at all. "Goodbye, young Earl – have a nice day, I hope you don't stay stuck as a little kitten forever!"

And with that, the shellshocked Earl and his butler (who was shaking with restrained laughter) were herded out of the shop. As the door slammed behind them, they could hear the Undertaker laughing.

Xxxxxx

Ciel was sulking. Sebastian had carried him all the way back to the carriage, and he _still_ hadn't removed the clothes. Several people had stopped them on their way to comment on how adorable he was and to stroke his head, which he hadn't enjoyed, not one bit. _Especially_ when they stroked behind his ears – that was the worst part.

Something else was bothering him, too, but he was so cross about it that he refused to even _think_ it.

They returned home in good time, and this time when the carriage door was opened, Ciel strode out by himself, tail in the air. He didn't want to be carried anymore – he wasn't a _baby_. Of course, this image he had of himself was somewhat spoilt by the fact that he was sporting a pink, frilly headpiece, but _whatever_. He was such a man, he didn't even _care_.

The grass was awfully long when you were this small, thought Ciel. It was like a sea of green, and each individual strand of grass bothered him equally. They tickled his tummy, and poked his eyes, and went up his nose. One even went in his mouth, so he bit it. Afterwards he felt quite silly.

The _something_ that had been bothering him since he'd woken up was becoming too much to ignore. Furiously, he paced around in a tight circle, fully aware of Sebastian watching. The Earl didn't even have to look to know there would be a smirk on his face.

In fact, Sebastian _did_ have a good idea of what the matter was with Ciel, but he wasn't going to spare the boy the embarrassment of telling him by broaching the subject.

"Se-Sebastian," muttered Ciel finally, sitting down and facing his butler. "I require… I require a lavatory."


	5. Sebastian's Wardrobe of Wonder

Ciel glared at nothing in particular as he was carried somewhere unknown by Sebastian. His butler's footsteps echoed on the wooden flooring, and soft light peered in from the windows. On the wall, the paintings watched them go by with their flat eyes and line smiles.

However, Ciel didn't notice the beauty of the morning – he was angry, and he had to pee. After he'd been brave enough to admit it to Sebastian, the demon had smirked and lifted him into his cold arms without saying a word. Through the fabric of the demon's shirt, Ciel could hear the deep, reverberating sounds of laughter.

It irritated him. When he got back to normal – that was, a boy and not a cat – he was going to _punish_ Sebastian. Ciel would dress _Sebastian_ as a cat and make him walk on all fours **naked** for a _week_. See how _he_ liked it.

Sighing quietly, Ciel dropped the idea, for he imagined that Sebastian probably _would_ like it. And besides, he didn't want to see his butler's penis. Even _thinking_ about thinking it made him queasy.

Oh, dear lord, now he _was_ thinking about it. Would it be spiky? Or hairy? Or maybe it would have little devil horns on the end? He shuddered violently, which caught the attention of the demon himself.

Sebastian shifted his arms, lifting Ciel out of the way and checking the front of his coat. Upon seeing Ciel's querying look, he explained, "I thought you had urinated on me. My apologies, young Master."

Ciel bristled, and if cats could blush he would be on fire. "O-Of course not! Don't be so stupid."

"It's alright, my Lord – you need not hold it any longer," said Sebastian as he opened a door and slid inside, looking far too happy for Ciel's liking. "We are here."

Ciel looked around disinterestedly at the room they were now in – Sebastian's private quarters. It was a simple room that all of the servants in the household had a replica of; a bed, a wardrobe and some other furnishings.

 _Sebastian_ ' _s_ quarters, however, were different from the others in a few ways. Ciel himself had personally seen to it that the furniture in his butler's quarters was made from the lowest quality wood he could find. He had picked out Sebastian's mattress, too. A lumpy, second-hand thing that was covered in unidentifiable stains – he had sourced it from one of the houses in town, paying the previous owner a healthy sum to part with it.

Why had he taken such care to ensure that Sebastian's room was awful? Because the butler was the _demon_ ; the _dog_. Ciel owned him, and as such could choose his state of living. Would it be an existence of luxury for the pet dog, or would it be a meagre one filled with poverty and upset?

As far as Ciel knew, Sebastian never even went in the room and probably wouldn't care even if Ciel filled his bed with live maggots every night. Being a demon, he was probably accustomed to such things. In fact, Ciel had probably just made the place more _homely_ for the demon.

Huffing, Ciel looked expectantly up at Sebastian. What were they doing in here, anyway? Servants and masters didn't share living quarters. Before he could open his mouth and meow a question to Sebastian, however, the demon swept open the wardrobe with a flourish, revealing a bare space, empty save for… for…

Ciel stared incredulously. Inside Sebastian's wardrobe was a litter tray.

"Here you go," said Sebastian with a wide smile, placing Ciel, who was frozen with shock, onto it.

" _You just keep this in here_?" exploded Ciel, swiping at Sebastian's hands as he pulled back. " _For what reason? Have you been keeping_ _ **cats**_ _in here_?"

"I keep it in there in case of emergencies," smiled Sebastian, making to close the wardrobe door.

" _What kind of emergencies could warrant_ _ **this**_?" shrieked Ciel rather uncharacteristically, scampering out of the wardrobe.

In truth, he was thinking frantically, trying to come up with an explanation for this… this _weirdness_ his butler had been displaying over the course of that day. _Emergencies_? What on earth did he mean by that?

"Take me outside," said Ciel suddenly. "I will… _relieve_ myself there. I never want to have this spoken of again, and in return you may keep… _that_ in your wardrobe, as long as you never reveal it to me again."

Xxxxxxxx

Ciel lay in the grass, sneezing every once in a while as the strands went up his nose. Since his butler had been unable to resist stroking Ciel and picking him up, the Earl had ordered him to go and sit somewhere far away and to watch from a distance (Sebastian had complied and was now pouting up in a tree, jealously watching Ciel relax in the garden).

"Who are _you_?" asked a female voice.

Jumping to his feet, Ciel looked around for the person speaking. Not that he had been startled or anything – he'd detected their presence from a _mile_ off, he just hadn't said anything because he hadn't wanted to alarm Sebastian. Or something like that.

"Who's there?" he called, feeling foolish immediately after the words had left his mouth. Because of course they _weren't_ words. When he thought he was speaking he was actually meowing, to a human ear.

"I've seen the tall man with you. He is not yours. He is ours," said another voice, this time a male one. It was gravelly and rough-sounding, like a smoker's voice.

Ciel turned around, this time able to pinpoint where the voice had come from. Four cats flanked him on all sides, and the one that had spoken last held a blade of grass in its mouth (as Ciel looked closer, he could've _sworn_ he saw a tattoo on the tabby's legs, but that couldn't be right, surely).

"Yeah, you tell 'im," said another voice. The cat that spoke was white in colour, save for four black socks and black ears.

"Yeah!" parroted another cat. This one was smaller than the rest, with a black coat and piercing blue eyes (Ciel wondered if that was what _he_ looked like now but then he began to feel sick, as if he was accepting his cat-ness, so he stopped thinking about it).

Ciel looked around at the group incredulously. Since when had there been a _cat_ _mafia_ in his garden?

From some distance away, Sebastian pricked his ears and listened carefully to the whole conversation. Being a demon, he had incredibly good hearing, eyesight and sense of smell (which unfortunately meant he was loathe to visit both dance clubs _and_ public restrooms) but since he was so far away he had to concentrate.

Then he got sidetracked, wondering if keen senses were a power that he had, and then wondering whether or not it was a good power to have or not. He'd just decided that no, it wasn't, when he heard the distinct sounds of his little Lord shouting. There had been a lot of shouting today – he would sleep well tonight.

Briefly, he wondered if he should intervene, but then stopped himself. Ciel _had_ told him to stay away, after all.

Back with the cat-gang, Ciel was valiantly defending his corner.

"I don't want Sebastian's _affections_ ," he protested crossly, "you can _have_ them. But he remains _my_ pet, and you do not own him; _I_ do."

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked the cat who had spoken first. She was a ginger cat with white socks.

"Yeah, what's that supposed to mean?" repeated the two cats who had contributed nothing to the discussion.

"He is _mine_ ," said Ciel possessively, holding his furred head up high, "and he will remain _mine_ , from now until eternity."

Then Sebastian dropped in (quite literally), landing next to Ciel and bending down to tease him behind the ears. Ciel pulled away, cross that Sebastian was here but happy to have his point validated. Sebastian would fight on _his_ side only.

He looked up at Sebastian to first tell him off for touching him inappropriately and without permission, and to secondly order him to remove these _animals_ off the premises (excluding the butler himself, of course, for he was the most beastlike of them all). But Sebastian was gone. So were the other cats, in fact.

The five of them were sitting a few metres away. Climbing all over Sebastian were the cats, and stroking them happily was Sebastian. Even from here Ciel could hear him cooing and fawning over them.

" _Sebastian!_ " cried Ciel angrily. "Get back here this _instant_! You are _mine_ , you belong to – _Sebastian_! Don't ignore me!"


	6. Ciel's Little Dishy

_That traitor_ , thought Ciel as he looked once more at Sebastian fawning over those… those _enemy_ cats. Not that he wanted Sebastian to champion his side, or anything! He… he didn't care if Sebastian liked some _other_ cat better than _him_. Not at all.

Oh, lord, what was he _thinking_? Now he was starting to behave as though he really _was_ a cat, and it had only been one morning since he had become one! What was going to happen tomorrow, or the next day? Would he still be a cat-boy? Would he be human once more?

What if he stayed like this _forever_?

"No!" cried Ciel to himself, his tail bristling.

No indeed. Perhaps he was behaving this way because he was hungry. Yes, that must be it. Of course he wouldn't be a cat forever, what was he thinking? Laughing shakily to himself, he resolved to tell Sebastian off for neglecting his duties as his butler. No food or drink the whole morning? How could he call himself the Phantomhive butler?

"Young Master," breathed a voice in his ear. Ciel most certainly did _not_ shout from surprise or fear, or so he told himself. It was a shout of rage. And hunger. "I am _terribly_ sorry for… _neglecting_ my duties."

Not for the first time, Ciel wondered if demons could read minds. "Where are those _other cats_ you enjoy playing with so much?" he said sourly, sitting down with his back to Sebastian. Tail waving crossly, he continued, "I forbid you from going near them. Now get me something to eat. I'm starved. If this carries on, you - I'll have to find another butler!"

Sebastian had been alerted to the fact that Ciel was unhappy when he had heard the boy talking to himself. Using his fast speed he had quickly taken a trip to his room, where he had stuffed the four cats back where they belonged – in his wardrobe ("This is truly love," the tabby cat had said adoringly) – and then made his way over to _his_ cat. In truth, he couldn't read minds. Often times the Earl's thoughts showed all over his face, but he was more than happy for the child to think he was magically inclined.

So fragile, were humans. Especially _his_ human. Smiling down at Ciel, he promised to get him something to eat and then picked him up to take him inside. As much as the boy protested, his feet were filthy from wandering outside in the mud and there was no way Sebastian was going to let him ruin the floors he worked so hard to keep clean. After he had eaten, Sebastian supposed he was going to have to bathe him.

He was sure that would go down _very_ well.

Xxxxxxx

"Today, you are having sautéed meat, prepared with only the finest ingredients," explained Sebastian, placing a dish in front of Ciel with a flourish (the cat had _insisted_ on sitting at the table, and as such was elevated to reach his plate with several thick books).

"This…" said Ciel slowly, peering at the food he'd been presented with, " _this is just cat food_!"

"Well, my Lord, you _are_ a cat, and cats shouldn't eat food prepared for humans," said Sebastian, his tone politely upset. "Human food is poisonous to cats."

"Don't be so ridiculous," said Ciel haughtily, turning his nose up. "I won't eat such rubbish. Prepare me some _proper_ food."

"No," refused Sebastian flatly, pushing the full plate closer to Ciel. Under normal circumstances, the contract that bound the two together forbade Sebastian from directly going against Ciel's wishes, but if said wishes were a concern or threat to the boy's wellbeing then Sebastian could act as he saw fit. This was due to the fact that the boy had commanded he act as his butler – and butlers were there to protect their masters, were they not?

"I won't eat it," said Ciel defiantly.

Sebastian smirked to himself. He possessed endless patience. Human hours, minutes, seconds… all were miniscule amounts of time to him, for he had lived for millennia. "Then we shall stay at the table until you do, young Master."

"Do I have to make it an order?" said Ciel, his voice rising. "Get me some suitable food _this instant_!"

"This _is_ suitable food for you in your current… _position_ , my Lord," said Sebastian.

"Fine," said Ciel stubbornly. "We shall sit here until you cook me something better."

Xxxxxxxx

Three long hours had passed, and Ciel glared longingly at the (somehow) still-steaming plate of meat. Coated with some sort of jelly, it smelled divine and he could feel his mouth watering.

That bastard. In the same position he had been in when this contest started, Sebastian stood in a pose perfectly fitting of a Phantomhive butler: straight-backed, arms folded behind his back, a smile on his face. His _stupid_ face, thought Ciel intelligently.

The smile widened, and Ciel noticed that he had been subconsciously opening his mouth and pushing it close to the plate. Snapping back into a sitting position, he studied for the thousandth time the paintings on the walls.

Yes, that was a nice one. He had gone with his father to pick that one. Oh, yes – that one was nice, too. Not that other one, though. He'd always hated _that_ one, with its ladies dressed in pink by a poolside. Tacky. Later, he resolved to tell Sebastian to take it down and burn it.

And then the demon could eat it.

So badly did he want to see Sebastian get upset. Perhaps he should just order the man (de-man?) to cry. That would be satisfying. Then he would tell the demon to get on his knees and _lick his boots_ to apologise.

Actually, he supposed that wouldn't work, considering he no longer had human feet to dress in shoes. However, he wouldn't let himself feel discouraged! He would think of a punishment to _severe_ , so _awful_ , that Sebastian would regret the day he was born!

Were demons _born_? Or did they hatch from eggs or something similarly awful? Ciel supposed on whether or not demons were considered mammalian or reptilian. But maybe they weren't born at all? Perhaps they just… _appeared_ every now and again as fully formed babies. Wait, could demons ever be babies? Maybe they just appeared in their adult forms? Certainly he had a hard time imagining _Sebastian_ as a helpless infant, soiling himself and crying out for his mother.

His thoughts had continued much along the same lines for the majority of the time Ciel had been seated at the table. Having always been stubborn (even as a young child he would refuse to swallow vegetables, choosing instead to sit at the table with them in his mouth for ages), there was _no way_ he was going to give in to Sebastian. That would be losing!

However, he was _awfully_ hungry. His stomach had growled at periodic intervals, and whilst he had made no acknowledgement of them he _knew_ Sebastian had heard.

"Okay," he growled finally, "I'll eat your food. But not because you want me to! I choose to eat it because I pity the labours you have to go through to earn _your_ meals." Satisfied he had put his butler in his place, Ciel smirked and made to pick up the cutlery he had insisted Sebastian put on the table.

His round paw brushed the hard metal of the fork. It seemed he was unable to pick anything up.

"D-Don't laugh!" he shouted when Sebastian turned around, his shoulders shaking from suppressed laughter.

Stooping down to the plate and eating with his face was not something befitting of an Earl. Nevertheless, Ciel did it anyway because he was so hungry. Unfortunately he was not well-practiced in the art of face-eating, so he got as much all over himself as he did in his mouth.

Although he would _never_ admit it to the demon's face, he was a bloody good cook. Even such a simple dish of meat tasted divine (but he supposed that could be the… the _cat_ in him talking), and after he was finished he licked his lips with satisfaction.

"Oh, dear," said Sebastian sorrowfully, looking at the ruined white tablecloth, the stained books, and the Earl himself, whose fur had taken on a chunky texture due to all the meat and sauce stuck in it, "it seems as though somebody is a messy eater."

Looking down at himself, Ciel bristled in embarrassment. Turning his head away from Sebastian, he said, "It's because your food is so disgusting. If you were a better cook, perhaps I would _want_ to properly eat your dishes."

"In any case," said Sebastian with a smile, allowing that jab at him to slide because of what he was about to do to the boy, "I think you need a thorough cleansing. I think it is about time you had a bath, young Master."


	7. Bath and Bed

"No," refused Ciel, hiding behind the toilet. Only his two ears poked out over the rim, his eyes and nose appearing every now and again to check that the horror that lay before him was not going to sneak up on him.

A full bath, steaming, hot and teeming with bubbles awaited him, along with an expectant butler, who had rolled up his sleeves in preparation and was now looking rather perplexed at Ciel's vehement denial.

"I have heated the water exactly to the temperature which you find most pleasing, young Master," said Sebastian in a soft voice, swirling the water around with a single uncovered fingertip. This achieved the opposite reaction that Sebastian was intending – that is, Ciel hissed lowly and retreated, only his puffed-up tail visible, instead of coming closer and leaping into the water – so he tried again, "I have filled the bath with the newest scents imported from Italy that you find so enjoyable, young Master."

"I don't want to," said Ciel. Normally he rather enjoyed baths, but earlier he had accidentally dipped his front paw into a dirty puddle outside and had found the experience quite traumatic. "Drain it immediately."

Heavy feet clomped towards Ciel and the cat shrank back, slotting himself into the tiniest corner he could reach. Bending down, Sebastian locked eyes with the Earl, and with one quick movement the demon grabbed the cat by the scruff of the neck and threw him quite violently into the bath.

Yowling and screeching, Ciel landed with a splash and scrabbled at the high, slippery sides of the bath. His attempts were to no avail, and eventually he relaxed, sliding down into the warm water that Sebastian had been careful not to make too deep. Panting, he glared daggers at Sebastian, who in response smiled in a condescending way.

Making his way over to the bath, Sebastian knelt before Ciel and gingerly untied the patch around his eye. Hiding a hum of appreciation – for he liked the little Earl much better this way, with the mark of the covenant properly displayed for all to see – he massaged soap into the cat's soft fur, taking care to untangle any knots with his fingers.

Continuing to glare, Ciel relaxed slightly into the butler's hands. He supposed it wasn't _that_ bad.

"Now, the other side," said Sebastian cheerily, and with one smooth motion he flipped Ciel onto his back and began cleaning his stomach. His hands dipped lower, and lower… and…

" _Sebastian_!" said Ciel indignantly, twisting and kicking his back legs.

Catching Ciel's eye, Sebastian smirked. He did so enjoy toying with the boy. "You want to be squeaky clean, do you not, young Master?"

For the rest of the bath, things went as smoothly as they could have done. As much as he had complained, and snapped at Sebastian, Ciel was warm and content.

"More hot water," said Ciel for the second time, as the bath was going cold again. Lying down with his legs tucked under him and his tail curled around him, Ciel was perfectly happy. Especially since he had made the wonderful decision of commanding the butler take up residence _outside_ the bathroom.

Honestly, that demon was far too grabby, like an impatient child.

"I know you can hear me," said Ciel, a touch louder just in case, "so get me more _hot water_!"

Creaking, the door opened just wide enough for his butler's face to poke inside. "I think it is about time you get out now, young Master."

Scowling, Ciel replied, "No. You were the one that forced me into this bath, so I will stay in it as long as I please."

"But the water is all dirty," said Sebastian in a displeased tone.

As if on cue, a brown lump of meat that had previously been stuck to Ciel's fur floated up to the surface of the water, bobbing around under his nose. Without thinking, Ciel reached forwards and ate it. It was soggy, but it tasted good.

Eyes widening in shock, Ciel whipped his head around to look at Sebastian so fast his neck cricked. One perfectly white gloved hand was covering the butler's mouth, and he looked most amused.

"Young _Master_ ," said Sebastian, gasping and sounding shocked. "How _uncouth_ of you."

"Sh-Shut up!" hissed Ciel. Raising his voice, he continued, "I'm ready to get out now, Sebastian. _Well_? Come on!"

Smothering the smirk that threatened to appear on his face, Sebastian walked towards the bath and scooped the Earl out of the water, wrapping him in a towel that he had pulled seemingly out of nowhere.

Freezing cold and looking like a drenched rat, Ciel shivered from the safety of his butler's arms. His butler was so tall that looking down made the cat queasy, and being snatched so quickly from a low height certainly didn't help.

Which was why it was _entirely_ Sebastian's fault that Ciel retched up a hairball down his back. Unfortunately, that did not make the ordeal any less mortifying for the cat himself. Dealing with his embarrassment in exactly the way he normally did - not acknowledging it in the slightest – he looked his butler straight in the eye, almost _daring_ him to say something.

Of course, like the good, kind butler he was, Sebastian waited exactly two minutes before beginning to poke fun at Ciel.

"If you do not mind, my Lord," said Sebastian lightly, having finished drying a now very puffy Ciel, "I would rather like to go and change my clothes."

" _Fine_ ," spat Ciel, utterly displeased with his appearance. He looked like one of the teddy bears Lizzie slept with (which he and Sebastian had shared a laugh about, although Ciel had promised Lizzie he wouldn't tell anyone).

"I suppose if you would like to use them as a substitute for a restroom once more," said Sebastian, smiling, "that is acceptable."

Reflecting back later, Ciel supposed that his actions at that point had been rash and fairly unjustified, but it _had_ been a long day, and Sebastian was a _demon_ , so it wasn't like he had felt it when he'd bitten him savagely on the arm. He _probably_ hadn't felt it. Probably.

When tucking him into bed that night – Ciel had once again insisted on behaving as a human, and was sleeping in his bed with the covers around him – Sebastian had looked incredibly pleased with himself, so he doubted that the butler was too bothered. By biting him, Ciel had most likely given him more ammunition to tease him with.

Falling asleep to the comforting sounds of people moving around the house, Ciel snuggled down into the duvet. Despite the fact that he was boiling hot underneath it, he had a point to prove and there was no way he was going to let Sebastian have the satisfaction of being correct about sleeping on top of his covers.

The next morning, Ciel was most distraught to find that his hands and feet were still paws, his body was still tiny and his face had whiskers that were certainly _not_ just facial hair. Yes, he was still a tiny, blue cat.

And Sebastian still looked ridiculously happy about the whole thing.

That was not the least of his problems – if this continued, and it looked like it would, the servants would start asking questions. The Queen would start asking questions.

His _family_ would start asking questions.

With the thought still bouncing around in his mind, he allowed his butler to dress him in an eyepatch ("I _refuse_ to wear that bow, Sebastian. Remove it from the premises," said Ciel) and prepared for another day.

"I would quite like for you to stay like this, young Master," said Sebastian, blushing slightly as he ran uncovered hands through Ciel's fur.

" _No way_ ," spat Ciel, and despite having to look up at Sebastian he commanded a certain amount of respect.

Sebastian smirked, standing and opening the door to Ciel's bedroom, gesturing for the Earl to walk through. Complying, Ciel jumped from the bed, falling onto the floor ungracefully as per usual. Recovering with impeccable speed, he stalked through the door with his tail high in the air, wondering what _culinary delights_ Sebastian had prepared for the day.

"We shall see, my Lord," murmured Sebastian quietly, following Ciel faithfully like a particularly violent dog. "We shall see."


End file.
